General Tips

Oil Changes
Your dad knew that frequent oil changes were the key to keeping his Chrysler on the road another year. While owner’s manuals for today’s cars recommend longer intervals between oil changes, the fact remains — frequent changes flush abrasive dirt and metal particles out of the engine, prolonging its life. Most owners’ manuals recommend a more frequent interval for “severe conditions.” To maximize the life of your engine, follow the severe intervals recommendations, especially if you drive in stop-and-go traffic.


Lighten the load on your key chain
Do your car keys share the chain with several other keys?  If yes, that’s a pretty heavy load hanging in the ignition. The weight, combined with bouncing while you drive, can wear out the tumblers inside the ignition and eventually lead to ignition switch failure. To add years of service to your ignition switch, purchase a lightweight key chain that allows you to separate your ignition key from the others. Drive with only the ignition key in your ignition. If your ignition key “sticks” when you try to turn on the car, it’s a warning that your ignition switch is about to fail. Replace it before you get stranded.



How do you maximize your vehicle fuel mileage?
One way is to have your tires checked every 3 months for optimal pressure and wear.  Tires loose pressure naturally over time  (like a balloon) and need to be inflated regularly.  Proper tire pressure improves handling and control, tire durability, reduces excessive wear and provides maximum fuel economy and safety.



More Tips
Schedule to replace filters and oil regularly- this will improve overall engine & vehicle life

Under-inflated tires can reduce your fuel mileage by as much as 15%, and significantly reduce the life of your tires

Resist using water in your wiper fluid reservoir. Water can freeze and do damage to your sprayer system

Aggressive driving, hard stopping, and riding brakes or clutch can make almost everything on your vehicle wear out early & can also hurt your fuel economy

Under inflated and misaligned tires can lower your car's fuel economy – make sure your tires are properly inflated!

Get in the habit of regular engine oil and filter replacements: They are the biggest factor when it comes to your vehicle’s life!

To get the best value and longest life out of your car is to READ the owner's manual

Run your AC a few times during the winter to help keep the compressor from seizing

Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter can improve gas mileage


Is your brake pedal soft and mushy? Bring your vehicle in to have the brakes checked out!

Transmission
Put less strain on your engine and automatic transmission by shifting to neutral at red lights. Otherwise, the engine is still working to push the car even while it’s stopped.

How can you extend the life of your vehicle’s engine?
Avoid racing your car’s engine during start-up. This is a quick way to add years of wear to your engine, especially if it’s cold outside.
Also accelerate slowly when you begin your drive. The most wear to the engine and drive train occurs in the first ten minutes of operation.


How can you extend the life of your wiper blades?
The next time you clean the windows of your car, also clean the wiper blade rubber with Windex or comparable cleaner.  Doing this will lengthen the life of the wiper blades and keep them from streaking.


Don’t fill up if you see the tanker
If you happen to see a gasoline tanker filling the tanks at your local gas station, come back another day or go to a different station. As the station’s underground tanks are being filled, the turbulence can stir up sediment. Sediment in your gas can clog fuel filters and fuel injectors, causing poor performance and possibly demanding repairs.


Look before you buy
Thinking of buying a used car?  Check the rubber on the brake pedal.  If it’s worn, this can suggest the car has been mostly driven in stop and go city driving.  Stone chips on the hood and rear fenders suggest gravel road travel.



Improve gas mileage by changing your air filter
Over the winter, your car's air filter can get clogged with salt and other thick debris. A clogged air filter can really lower your fuel efficiency. Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.



Extend the life of your power steering pump
When turning your steering wheel, don’t hold it to the extreme right or left position for more than a few seconds.   Doing so can damage the power-steering pump.